Northern Nigeria's foremost think-tank has set up a committee to manage its endowment fund. The move aims to boost education and socio-economic development across the region.
Mohammed Dikko Abubakar, a former police chief, will lead the new Endowment Fund Committee. He takes the helm as the body works to implement the fund's core objectives.
ACF boss Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu spoke at Tuesday's inauguration ceremony. According to him, the committee represents a watershed moment for Northern Nigeria's development agenda.
Dalhatu explained that the endowment will tackle pressing challenges in the region. Educational expansion and community projects rank among its priorities, he noted.
During its 25th-year celebration, ACF launched a N100 billion fund initiative. Donors pledged N7.8 billion, though only N3.9 billion has materialized so far.
The money sits securely with Jaiz Bank, Dalhatu disclosed. He expressed confidence in the committee's capacity to deploy these resources wisely.
"Our funds are safe," he told reporters at the event. "We want the committee to run social programmes while pushing pledgers to pay up."
He added that visible results would likely attract additional contributions. Success breeds generosity among potential donors, in his view.
Youth empowerment and leadership training form part of the fund's blueprint. Educational initiatives will also receive substantial attention going forward.
The committee's work will span multiple sectors across the North. Officials say the endowment addresses long-standing welfare gaps in communities there.
